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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30101898">Fighting Against Inevitability</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisCyra/pseuds/AlexisCyra'>AlexisCyra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, I just want them to be happy Bungie, failed canon timeline, robo kissies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:08:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30101898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisCyra/pseuds/AlexisCyra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(This fic is inspired by the lore entry on the Retrocausality sparrow, that details a failed previous timeline where Elsie and Ikora grew incredibly close before the Darkness destroyed everything - https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/retrocausality )</p>
<p>It had been almost a year since Ikora first laid eyes on the mysterious exo that stood in her office doorway on a cold winter's night. She spoke of impossible things. Terrifying things. But the more she spoke, the more Ikora believed her and the more she realised the danger that everyone faced. The dark shroud of that future continues to swarm her thoughts to this day, and her duties as the Warlock Vanguard continue to fall to the wayside... but at least she has grown to have a deep and meaningful friendship with the exo stranger she now knows to be Elsie Bray. Company is comforting to keep in the face of annihilation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elsie Bray/Ikora Rey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fighting Against Inevitability</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ikora looked out onto the Last City with a sense of loss anchored deep into the pit of her stomach. The Traveler gleamed in the midday sunlight; a stalwart beacon of hope to the dozen districts that nested beneath its protection. It was a vista she had gazed out upon for many years now. She had made clear when the office was built that she wanted it to face the city. That way, Ikora did not have to look far to see that which she swore to protect. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How was she to know that it was all doomed to a broken future when this window was built? How was she to know that this version of her city, her people and indeed herself was not the only one? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The warlock tried to clear her mind of such thoughts and focus instead on the tea cradled in her hands. It had already gone cold. A sigh escaped her lips. She returned the cup to the table beside her seat and lifted herself up from the comfort of her desk. A dozen unread reports littered the desk itself, all telling tales of Fallen sighted beyond the City walls and the resurgence of the House of Devils. She granted them a cursory glance for the first time in days. It all seemed rather trivial now. Elsie’s stories of the horrors awaiting her home in the near future were a far more pressing concern in the recesses of her mind. It had been difficult to believe at first, an Exo claiming to be from another timeline; a daughter of Clovis Bray himself no less. But she could sense it was a conversation Elsie had gone through many times before. Fine-tuned in such a way to present Ikora with all the evidence and desperation she needed to accept the reality and weight of the situation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She grew weary just thinking about it. Ikora could only hope that Elsie was right and that this dark future could be averted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As if on cue, the door to her office slid open. It wasn’t protocol to allow in uninvited guests, but Elsie was an exception that Ikora was more than happy to cater to. The Exo had her eyes set on the small library that Ikora had against the east wall of the room and wasted no time in closing the gap with little more than a nod toward Ikora in greeting. She was always a quiet presence in the room. Ikora was certain that Elsie was afraid that one wrong sentence might send the timeline down an irreversible path to disaster, so kept quiet when she could. The warlock’s expression contorted with hurt and sympathy watching her forever consumed by her work.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Back for more research so soon?” Ikora broke the uneasy silence, a smile warming her otherwise tired face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie initially gave little response, her fingers dancing across the bookshelves. She pulled out three, maybe four books before shifting her body to face Ikora. “Yes.”<br/></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it something I can help you with?” Ikora took a few steps toward her as she spoke. Her eyes shifted down toward the book that Elsie had settled on. The text on the spine had faded with time, but the faint outlines of letters imprinted into the leather made it clear the subject was the Vex. “I’ve studied much of the material from these books. After all, there isn’t much else to occupy myself with when I’m stuck in this office. There was very little company to keep in these halls before you arrived.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie took a moment to contemplate a reply. Eventually, she nodded. “I’m looking for anything the Vanguard has on the Black Garden.” Another pause. Her optics blinked. Her robotic features offered little room for expression but Ikora could sense that Elsie was torn on how much to tell her, despite how close they had gotten. “Every timeline, every attempt I have to stop things from unfolding like the last time, I look for whatever key moments I can. Points in time where the dominoes start to fall. Events that when left unchecked by the light cascade into an overwhelming tide of darkness.” Elsie sighed. She opened the book in her hands and began flicking through its contents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was such poetry in how she wove words together. Ikora only wished they had met under different circumstances, so that the poetry was not laced with an impending sense of horror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Black Garden? I certainly know of its existence but I can’t say the Vanguard has a robust database on it. Much of what the Vex do is still a mystery to us.” The warlock’s brow furrowed as she spoke. “I believe Zavala and Cayde were talking about organizing scouting missions into-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they cannot send those Guardians in.” Elsie’s sharp rebuttal caught Ikora off guard. “There is a great evil at the heart of that place. Until there is a way to destroy it without its influence being allowed to reach out to lightbearers, sending scouts in is a danger to everyone. I know that I can find a solution, I just need a little more information. Something. Anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Elsie…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve failed so many times before. Watched the same horrific theatre play out in front of me as if in mockery of my attempts to change things. If I lose focus for even a moment, I fear something slips by and it all untangles again. Right back to the beginning.” Elsie slammed the book closed in frustration. Ikora wanted to comfort her but the exo turned away, her gaze firmly locked to a frayed edge of the crimson carpet throw beneath her feet. “I don’t know why it had to be me. Sometimes I wonder what horrible things I must have done to have been cursed with this fate.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ikora’s chest felt tight watching Elsie’s strength crumble before her. It was impossible to fathom the mental strain that her charge must plague her with. She shifted in place, her hands clammy with anticipation. She reached one out and gently wrapped it around Elsie’s arm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t-” Elsie’s voice broke as she weakly protested. She turned to look back at Ikora and the two shared a knowing, silent gaze. Ikora’s smile only grew softer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When was the last time you let yourself rest, Elsie?” Ikora asked. She could feel her heart race as she looked up into the bright blue eyes of the woman she’d come to be so intimate with. It was easy for her surroundings to slip away out of focus when they were together; a fleeting moment of reprieve from the noise and the dread. Her free hand cupped Elsie’s cheek. The metal ran cold against her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Exo’s don’t need rest.” Elsie muttered in response. Her voice acted indifferent but Ikora could feel how she immediately leaned into the offered hand. The warlock wondered how long it had been since Elsie had even felt the affection of another person.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You aren’t a machine.” Ikora pointed out. “A vessel of metal doesn’t make you any less human. We all grow weary. Stressed. Anxious. You’ve been loyal to your work for so long… you don’t hide the cracks as well as you think.” Her thoughts were flooded with relief watching Elsie’s body decompress as she spoke. Tension the exo didn’t seem to know she had was sapped from her taut shoulder joints. Ikora was thankful her words were enough to bring Elsie back down to earth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just…” Something caught in Elsie’s throat and she relented with a groan. The room got a little dimmer as she closed her eyes. “Scared.” Ikora could feel the weight of the word as it sank to the floor. “What if I’m forever stuck like this? Fighting against inevitability? I’m terrified of failure yet I can’t even be sure that success is possible.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re losing faith in yourself. Watched plans scatter to the wind and felt that pang of guilt time and time again. There is no greater burden than the one you face. Yet here you are, still trying.” The admiration in Ikora’s voice took little to encourage. Words poured forth from her lips that beckoned straight from her fluttering heart. “Elsie, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met, but even the strongest are not unbreakable. You can’t let these fears imprison you. Slowing down and talking about them is a good first step. Take moments away from your work to collect your thoughts. You know that you are always welcome to seek my counsel.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie’s optics opened again, the fiery blue lenses reflected in the glass of Ikora’s eyes. “I-” Her voice remained weak and fragile. Anxiety gripped the exo in its vice-like clutches. Vulnerability appeared to be a practice Elsie was new to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There will always be people around you to help lift you up. If you let them in.” Ikora went to pull her hand away from Elsie’s face but found her wrist swiftly intercepted by the exo. When she opened her mouth to speak, she instead discovered that Elsie had other plans. The exo pressed her face up against Ikora’s and a shiver ran down the warlock’s spine as the familiar feeling of cool metal hit her lips. Ikora’s eyes widened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had never kissed an exo before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was odd, yet not entirely unpleasant. Especially with </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> the exo was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a fleeting feeling however, with Elsie quick to pull away out of a sudden wave of embarrassment. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize.” Ikora had never meant the words she spoke more in her life. She instinctively pulled Elsie back in with a hand at the exo’s chin. Elsie was more than happy to fully succumb and steal another kiss. Ikora’s heart skipped a beat. For the first time in a long time, the world felt right as the two embraced in the quiet of the office. Ikora only wished it could last longer, her expression riddled with disappointment when the two’s lips finally parted. They held each other under the watchful gaze of the Traveler, processing a newfound mutual understanding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I care about you so much, Ikora. Nobody understands like you do. Talks like you do. I can’t lose you. I won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can tackle whatever comes together. Maybe this will finally be the reality you’ve been searching for. As long as you’re here beside me, I can’t imagine any future other than a bright one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A quiet chuckle lit up Elsie’s mouth. It dawned on Ikora that she’d never heard her laugh before. It was a precious moment of joy from a woman so long lost in a swirling pit of melancholy. “Your optimism in the face of everything is… comforting. I almost want to believe you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Faith is all we have sometimes. Faith-” Ikora’s hands slid down Elsie’s arm, tracing along its various ridges and plating, before her fingers interlaced with the exo’s. “-and love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie squeezed the warlock’s hand in a quiet, affectionate response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now will you </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> take a break? For a little while.” Ikora didn’t wait on a response, determined to pull Elsie away from her compulsive work ethic. “I ordered chinese. It should be arriving any minute. If I’d known you were going to stop by, I would have put more on the list but I’m more than happy to share.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ikora, you know that I don’t-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah ah ah.” Ikora raised a finger to silence her, pressing it up against her lips. “Taking a break, remember? That means getting to enjoy the little, unnecessary things.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie’s thumb caressed the back of Ikora’s hand. “Right. The little things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two spent hours that day bundled up together in the privacy of Ikora’s office, talking and laughing as two lovers should with the coming storm not once crossing their minds. Ikora cared little for the empty food containers that ended up littering the study, her eyes forever drawn into Elsie’s for each precious moment that she could have with her. The exo had lived a long and precarious life and had no shortage of stories from her childhood and her time on Europa to recite. Elsie had talked more in those few hours they shared in each other’s embrace than Ikora imagined she had talked since the loop had taken hold of her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>ONE YEAR LATER</b>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The memory of that day still sparked a warmth in Ikora’s chest that burned brighter than any solar flame. She squeezed past the malfunctioning door to her office into a labyrinth of glass shards that crunched under her boots. Each piece was a remnant of the window that once looked out onto a peaceful and prosperous Last City. The city she looked out onto now was ablaze with a bleak red sky of fire and ash. Where the Traveler once perched above humanity, a canopy of black clouds and pyramid ships served as herald’s of the light’s failure. Of their failure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ikora didn’t have much time left. The Darkness was razing the city before her eyes and the wall of flame seemed to be gathering strength as it tore a path directly toward the tower. She only hoped that Elsie had managed to find a way out of the city before the Darkness had arrived. Perhaps there was still hope somewhere out there amongst the stars. A chance to save humanity from ruin. Ikora took a deep breath. She had faith in Elsie. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the exo there in front of her. Those brilliant blue eyes. Her laugh…</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fires licked at the base of the tower now. Ikora’s only wish was that-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>[RECORD 042 - CHASSIS UNDER EXTREME DURESS; BRIDGE - 7.2]</b>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elsie glared at the pristine white concrete beneath her outstretched hands. The same concrete she had been forced to stare at with each reset of the loop. In the distance, the faint sounds of cheering danced in the soundscape with the birds that chirped overheard. Cayde-6 was being paraded through the streets of the Last City. The previous Hunter Vanguard had been avenged and Cayde would soon take up the mantle. How Elsie resented this scene.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ikora’s voice cut through the noise as she began to address the gathered crowds. Elsie didn’t even have the strength to lift her head and look toward the precession. Her body trembled with anger. She wished she could cry. She begged for even a single tear to fall from her eye sockets and splash against the path. But exo’s couldn’t cry. All she could do was listen to a dead lover give a speech she’d listened to again and again and wonder how it could have been different.</span>
</p>
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